


Flowering in Smoke and Shadow

by TheEarlGreyofBergamot



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Multi, Trans Male Character, Trans Sheik, Trans Zelda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEarlGreyofBergamot/pseuds/TheEarlGreyofBergamot
Summary: A coming of age story in a time of Hyrule apocalypse. Zelda/Sheik must find out what it means to be a hero and how to be brave, while also struggling to find his identity and what he truly wants out of life. Growing up in a war ravaged Hyrule, he gains friends along the way to help him discover the strength that he has inside.
Relationships: Link/Sheik (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Zelda screamed. Her high-pitched voice was muffled under the sound of crashing thunder and lightning outside. She hunched over in the corner of her room, covering her eyes with her tiny hands. She couldn’t catch her breath, her little lungs pumping as fast as they could. She could feel her heartbeat coursing through her body, all the way down to her feet. Her palms were moist, and her stomach was turning over this way and that. She began to feel faint, white sparks flying into her vision. The worst-case scenario had just happened, and she couldn’t have prevented it from happening.

Then came a loud banging on the heavy oak doors of her room. She screamed again, and whimpered. They were coming for her. The doorknobs were locked, but she could hear the bodies on the other side try to twist and turn the knobs, desperate to get in. She heard their metal armor and swords scrape against the exposed bones of their cursed bodies. Their bones raked against the door, like knives across the cutting block. Suddenly, a loud thud echoed across her bedroom and sunk down into her ears. Then another, and another. With every ominous note, Zelda’s thin sense of safety cracked a little more. They were trying to hack their way through the door.

Zelda shut her eyes tight, her body trembling, terrified. She whispered under her breath desperate prayers to Hylia, and to the Goddesses. The rain came pouring outside, beating down on the windows. It sounded as if hundreds of crows were swarming outside, attacking the panes of glass. The laborious thuds of the hacking continued like a deadly metronome. It got faster as faster as more bodies joined in to break the door to pieces. Zelda froze in her spot, hunched over and sick. The tears began streaming down her face. “I’m going to die”

Just then, she heard a cry out in the hallway. The monsters had stopped their hacking and groaned in anguish. Swords clashed against shields, bones were broken and shattered, she heard a distinct labored grunting as flesh fist met contact with armored foe. It was silent for a bit, except for the relenting rain on the windows. Then the doorknob was jimmied open. The fortified oak doors, sometimes even too heavy for tiny Zelda to open all the way, were blasted off their hinges by the powerful kick of Impa.

Zelda turned her head at the crash, the tears still freely flowing from her eyes. Impa stood in the entryway, her muscles flexed, ready to fight. Smoke poured in from the hallway, a signature sheikah fighting device. Impa desperately darted her eyes around the darkened room, and locked onto Zelda, who was still frozen and crying in the corner. Without hesitation, Impa jumped across the room and scooped Zelda into her arms, cradling her so close, Zelda’s face was being squished against Impa’s breast plate.

“We’re leaving your little highness.” Impa said, in her low husky voice, seemingly trying to soothe her, but Zelda sensed the worry underneath. Zelda hung on tight to Impa’s shoulders as they started to move out of the room. An ocean of relief filled her completely now that Impa was here.

“Wait! The Family Ocarina! It’s on my nightstand!” Zelda cried. Without that ocarina, Ganondorf couldn’t get into the Sacred Realm, which is what he truly wanted, which was what this was all about.

Impa dashed over to the nightstand and opened the drawer where lay the royal blue ocarina. She snatched it and gave it to Zelda, who held it close to her chest. It was her most precious treasure. They were just about to leave, when a horrible wailing came from the door way.

Three Stalfos soldiers burst into the room, banging their swords against their shields and crying out with fury. Zelda instinctively hung on tighter to Impa. Impa looked at the monsters and assessed the situation with quick calculations. Zelda was in danger, and she couldn’t fight with Zelda in her arms.

“Your highness, I am going to get you out of here. Hang on as tight as you can, you won’t hurt me.” Impa adjusted her hand and grabbed several smoke pellets from her pocket. She threw them down on the ground, in front of the skeletal monsters. The smoke burst upwards, instantaneously filling the room with a hazy, foul smoke. The monsters choked and coughed, lowering their weapons. Impa turned to the window, and punched through the glass. She climbed onto the windowsill, with Zelda still digging her nails deep into Impa’s shoulders. Impa braced Zelda with her arms and dropped down two stories. Impa tried to curl them both up into a roll, but it was hard with two people. Impa instead took the brunt of the fall onto her shoulder and thigh.

“Ungh!” Impa grunted, the shock reverberating through her body like an electric current.

“Impa!” Zelda cried, letting go for a moment. Zelda hadn’t felt a thing besides the rush of wind and the sudden stop of the ground, but the pained grunt of her caretaker gave her more anxiety.

“It’s nothing Princess. Come on, we have to keep moving.” Impa got up off the ground, wobbling a little on her right-side. She picked Zelda right back up and started running towards the royal stables.

A horse was just outside, waiting for them. There were two servants who were getting horses ready for the people of the castle to escape.

Impa leapt onto the horse with Zelda in tow. She reached for the reigns and squeezed the horses side with her legs. Impa called to the servants, “Has the King escaped yet?” they both shook their heads, eyes big and terrified.

Impa grimaced. There was no time left. “Hyah!” she yelled, and the horse sped off from the castle, the rain and thunder mercilessly pelting them.

Impa and Zelda bolted through Castle Town, the townsfolk being knocked backward, almost getting trampled by the crazed frantic riding that Impa displayed. Impa was not concerned with them right now, only Zelda mattered. They finally came to the front gates of the town.

“CLOSE THE GATES!” Impa boomed to the gatekeepers, who woke with a start, not understanding the commotion. “START CLOSING THE GATES!” she yelled again.

Their horse jumped past the wooden bridge to Hyrule Field, the sky was dark and black. Zelda sensed that evil’s power was finally being unleashed, it’s full display of power waking up to the possibilities of a twisted rule. But out the corner of her eye, Zelda saw the fairy boy! Link! He had made it back! But there was no time left. Ganondorf had already made his move and was strangling power from Hyrule Castle. She held out her family’s ocarina and with a prayer, she threw it over her shoulder, hoping against hope that Link would catch it and save everyone. If Link had the ocarina, then surely Ganondorf’s nefarious schemes would be brought down.

Impa did not stop her relentless ride away from the castle. Her sole concern was keeping Zelda safe, and the farther away from that cruel man, the better. She headed towards Kakariko Village, there was a Sheikah strong hold just underneath the town that could withstand a sizeable attack. But Impa was not ready to fight just yet, they just needed to hide. Maybe that boy would come through.

It had been three days. Impa gave Zelda another bread roll to dip into her brothy soup. Zelda tentatively grabbed it and dipped it gingerly into the bowl. Things were quiet underground, the stone walls were thick and fortified, but also closed out the sound of birds and people. This was Impa’s hideout. Well, it wasn’t quite Impa’s hideout. She explained that it belonged to the Sheikah people, of which Impa was apart of and held some clout with. Outsiders were not allowed, except for the Royal Family, whom the Sheikah swore to protect. But Zelda just thought of it as Impa’s hideout.

A rumbling came from the ceiling, there were footsteps above them. Zelda heard a cry and then a thud on the ground. Zelda put her bread down.

“Eat, princess. You need to gather your strength.”

“What’s going to happen Impa? Link should have opened the portal to the Sacred Realm already. He should have done it by now…” Zelda swirled her spoon in her thin soup.

Impa didn’t want to tell her. She was also certain that the Sacred Realm should have been opened by now, but she suspected that things did not turn out the way they had hoped they would. The clouds over Hyrule Castle were not going away, in fact they were getting stronger, blacker, more cursed looking day by day. Armies of monsters came out at night, killing and feeding on the innocent. The nights were starting to get longer, so the monsters stayed out. The refugees from Castle Town were pouring into Kakariko, so much so that there weren’t enough houses for everyone. And no one had news of the King. It was bad, and Impa was resigning herself to except defeat, but she couldn’t face Zelda with the truth. Not yet anyway.

“Listen, your highness. That boy is a good boy, he has a good heart, but we need to focus on us right now. The clouds over Hyrule Castle have not gone away, and that concerns me.” Impa sat down in a rickety wooden chair across from Zelda, as Zelda sheepishly played with her food, too nervous to eat.

“I am concerned that you are concerned Impa.” Zelda said. She had known her caretaker as a strong woman, perhaps the strongest woman in Hyrule, and if this was making Impa shake, then it must be very bad indeed.

Impa held out her hand and Zelda placed her little paw inside, “There is no need for you to worry, my little princess. As long as I’m around, there will be nothing to fear. I will make that desert man pay.” She said, a dark fire sparking in her eyes.

“Do you think father is ok?” Zelda asked in a whisper.

Impa squeezed Zelda’s hand and then let go with a sigh, “The King has a whole Sheikah squad to protect him. If there is a way for him to get out of the castle, they will find it.” Impa was sure of the skill of her Sheikah warriors to do the job that they were trained to do, but the silence was deafening. She should have heard back from them by now.

“How long do we have to stay here?” Zelda looked around their bunker, it was dark and spooky. The Sheikah were a mysterious people that lived and breathed shadow. Zelda knew that the Sheikah were good people, but she lamented that they couldn’t find more pleasant surroundings to live in.

“We’ll wait a few more days. Then, if things go in the way that I sense they are going, I’m going to move you to another location.” Impa said, closing her eyes deep in thought.

“Move me?” Zelda asked, worry starting to creep up into her throat, “What about you?”

“This place I will take you I will not be able to join you, but it is the safest place in all of Hyrule.”

Zelda got up from her chair, knocking it over, ran over to the other side of the table and clung onto Impa. The tears were starting to blur her vision, “Don’t leave me Impa. I need you!”

Impa hugged back and petted her golden hair, “Shh…shh… my little princess. You need to be strong for all of Hyrule. You are Hyrule’s last hope. I’m not going to go anywhere.”

Zelda buried her face in Impa’s chest and started to bawl, her cries of anguish being choked by hiccups. “I’m not strong like you Impa!”

“Oh, your highness, there are many different types of strength.” Impa waited for Zelda to settle down, before she gently pulled Zelda away to look her in the eyes. “Please don’t stain your beautiful eyes with tears, your highness. You will find your strength in due time, and it will look nothing like my strength.”

Impa stood up from her chair and picked Zelda up in her arms. Zelda was still sobbing quietly, trying desperately to stop the flow of tears down her cheeks with her already too wet hands. Impa took them to a bath pitcher, dipped a cloth in the water and washed Zelda’s face. Afterwards, she let Zelda down so that she could walk on her own and led her down the dark hallway where their sleeping quarters were. Zelda kept a close pace to Impa and did not stray very far away from her. Zelda felt so confused and miserable already, but the added creepiness of the Sheikah hideout practically made Zelda Impa’s second shadow. 

“Get ready for bed your highness.” Impa said, as she pulled out a spare set of child’s night clothes, a simple white gown. Zelda quickly dressed then jumped under the covers of a simple bed. It was a lot harder and lot smaller than her bed at home, but she was just thankful that this creepy hideout had beds at all.

Zelda rested her head on her pillow as Impa sat on the edge of the bed and waited to tuck Zelda in.

“Impa?” Zelda started to ask, “Link, do you think he would like to be a princess?”

Impa blinked as she processed the unusual question. “Uh, why do you ask that your highness?”

“Well, Link needs a reward for saving Hyrule, and I thought that maybe I could make him a princess.” Zelda said, as she started to yawn, the effects of the warm sheets already starting to affect her.

Impa laughed. Such a considerate child, “Well, I am not sure he would want to be a princess, as he is a boy.”

“He can be a boy princess.” Zelda said.

“Hmm.” Impa thought about it, “Well, a boy princess would actually be a prince.”

“A prince?” Zelda had never known any other children in her life, let alone any other royal children. The word sounded a little familiar, but it didn’t sound awful. It sounded pretty wonderful actually. Prince. “So… I am a princess, because I’m a girl.”

“Yes, my love.” Impa kissed Zelda on the forehead and got up from the bed. “Sleep well, my princess.”

Impa left the room to do some business that only Impa knew what it was. Zelda stared out in the darkness of the room. When it was completely dark, it didn’t matter so much what the walls looked like since you couldn’t see them anyway. Zelda thought about being a prince versus being a princess. She had never really thought about it before. She wasn’t even aware that there were distinctions between girl princesses and boy princesses, or princes. It was a strange thought, a new thought, one that wasn’t entirely comfortable.

But the siren call of sleep was too alluring for Zelda to resist. She pushed all the thoughts out of her mind and curled up in the soft sheets. She would have to think about a reward for Link later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda is given a new name, as Impa makes plans to escape Kakariko Village and start a new life in the Lost Woods for Zelda.

After a few more days in the Sheikah underground, just when Zelda was getting used to the dank musty smell of wet earth, Impa decided that it was time to leave. Zelda begged for Impa to change her mind, but once Impa had made a decision, it was impossible for it to be changed. That quality made her an excellent source for trust and assurance, but stubborn and unwilling to compromise on even the smallest of things.

They left in the dead of night, under the watch of the moon and the cloak of shadow. Impa made Zelda leave her dress behind, because if they should be caught, that dress would be a dead giveaway as to who they were. Just to be sure, when Impa returned later to the Sheikah fortress, she had the dress burned. Instead, Zelda wore a simple dark blue tunic with light grey leggings, commoners’ clothes. They were comfortable and surprisingly soft, made with wool. The Sheikah favored dark colors, so no happy pinks or floral purples. Impa tied Zelda’s long hair into a simple braid using twine, and gave Zelda a white scarf to wrap around her head. Impa warned Zelda, never take off the scarf, because her long Hylian ears would raise a lot of suspicions. Her ears did not mark her as a princess, but they did mark her as a Hylian and only Hylians were apart of the Royal Family. Impa had kept a close ear to the ground, and Hylians were starting to disappear under mysterious circumstances. No doubt at the command of the evil king.

Before they left the village for good, Impa sat Zelda down and explained to her the severity and danger of the task they were about to perform. Impa warned Zelda that if they should get caught, there was a very low chance that they would be able to get away again. Though Impa had always stressed to Zelda that she must be kind and courteous to her people always, people were now the enemy. Anyone could be a servant of the evil king now, anyone could be a spy, anyone could want to harm her. So, she must stay cautious, and distance herself as much as she can from people. Run away if she had to, use force if she were attacked.

And Zelda was no longer to be Zelda. If she were to use her real name, there would be no back pedaling from it. Her position would be compromised, and it would only be a matter of hours or minutes until an employee of Ganondorf would swoop down and snatch her away.

“Your name will be Sheik. It means ‘child of the Sheikah’. You dress like a Sheikah, you look like a Sheikah, you know the customs of the Sheikah that I have taught you. You are no longer a princess of the Hylians. You are a child of the Sheikah.” Impa said in serious tones, but not without a hint of pride in her voice.

They managed to leave Kakariko Village without any incident. The hordes of homeless people were largely concerned with their own affairs, either scrounging for scraps, trying to keep warm over makeshift fires, or sleeping in uncomfortable positions on the ground. What was two more wandering souls in a river of wandering souls? Impa always said that the best way to disappear was in a crowd.

Once out of the village, there was a horse tied up, waiting for them next to the gate. A royal guard greeted Impa and nodded as they mounted the steed and pushed off towards Hyrule Field. Impa did not tell the guard who the child was, for her safety, and only informed him that she was doing official business for the Royal Family and needed a horse. The guard was not to speak to anyone about what he saw tonight. He was a loose end to be sure, but Impa had very little choice in the matter. The guard was bound to be caught at any time, but that shouldn’t happen for a couple of days, and by then, Zelda should already be safe.

They rode fast across the field, trying their best to outpace the moon, who without any effort at all, kept stride with them. Impa was heading into the forest, where she had heard stories and rumors, that if true, would mean that Zelda could live a semi-peaceful life despite the curse that was spreading far too quickly over the other parts of Hyrule.

They made it to the entrance of the forest. Zelda looked on in wonder, she had never seen so many trees before, so close together. The forest was so alive, breathing the breath of the earth itself.

“Come, we have to walk on foot.” Impa said, as she dismounted the horse and placed Zelda on the ground. Impa tied the reigns to a thin tree, hoping that no one would be around to notice a horse just sitting here for the taking.

They left the horse behind as they started into the forest. The horse did not seem to mind though, as it immediately started to sniff around for grass and bit at the ground. Zelda was so awestruck at the tallness of the trees, that she stumbled and tripped over the rocks on the ground that she was not paying attention to. Wildflowers grew in the moonlight, and vines curled around thickets of roots and bushes. Mushrooms grew in the damp soil, and gave off musky odors that reminded Zelda of the underground bunker.

They walked through for a long time, a lot longer than Zelda was expecting. The forest grew even more dense, the ground rocky and uneven. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her footing. Impa was also struggling, her heavy armor was not the best for hiking. She regretted not leaving behind her breast plate and shin guards. She wiped the sweat from her brow as best she could, calculating if they had gone far enough.

They came upon a mysterious clearing in the forest, with ancient looking trees, that had toppled over what must have been hundreds of years ago. This was the ancient part of the forest, or at least the beginning of that particular part. Impa sighed and sat down in the grass, finally able to get some rest. Zelda noticed that Impa stopped and sat down, relieved for the rest as well.

“Why are we here, Impa?” Zelda asked, after several minutes had gone by with them just sitting in this forest clearing.

“I heard a story about the Lost Woods, a long time ago when I was about your age. Adults like me get lost in these woods and are never found again. Some say that these lost souls get turned into Stalfos and are doomed to do the bidding of whoever calls on them. But children, the forest loves and protects. If you were to find the Kokiri, the children of the forest, they would take you in and you would be protected from the outside world. No matter what war or typhoon, or hideous fire storm happened outside, the forest would be just as calm and gentle as ever to you.” Impa said, stretching out her long legs in the grass.

“But you can’t stay?” Zelda asked.

“No, I’m too old. And, forgive me princess, but I am not sure that you are young enough either. It is a long shot, but if the forest were to accept you, well, that would be a wonderful solution to our problems. You get to live part of your childhood in peace, I get to have peace of mind.”

“The Kokiri…” Zelda repeated. “How do I know if I’m too old?”

Impa sat up cross legged in the grass, “The forest makes music, but only children can hear it. The music guides the wandering children souls to the Kokiri Village. If you cannot hear the music, then you are too old.” She explained.

Zelda took off her scarf and uncovered her ears. She listened intently to the sounds of the forest. She heard rustling in the branches of the trees, the wind rushing through the grass, birds chirping in the distance. But no music. “I…don’t hear anything…” she said, concerned.

Impa grimaced. Maybe this was not going to work after all. Impa got up off the ground and wiped the grass from her backside. She led Zelda to the toppled trees whose insides had been eaten away with age and vermin. They were big enough to walk through and looked as if they led deeper into the forest. Impa stepped in front of the trees entrance and placed Zelda right in front of her. “Listen. Listen hard.” Impa commanded.

Zelda closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds that the tree tunnel must have been projecting far beyond it. There was nothing.

Impa sighed, rubbed the back of her head with her hand, and turned away. This wasn’t turning out as well as she had hoped. They might have to go for plan B.

Just then, Zelda heard something. A long sweet note, echoing far beyond their current spot. It was far in the back of the forest, bouncing off tree trunks and muffled by wet leaves.

“I hear something!” exclaimed Zelda, clapping her hands with excitement.

“Hmm….” Impa came over to where Zelda was and listened as well. She craned her neck and strained her ears, but the forest only held silence for her. “That must be the right sound.”

Zelda listened again, the note came in fuzzy, out of focus, fading in and out like the sun through clouds. “It’s so faint Impa, but I think I can follow it.”

Impa got down on one knee and turned Zelda around to look her in the eye. Impa couldn’t find the right words and decided to embrace her little princess instead. Zelda wrapped her tiny arms around Impa’s thick muscular neck, realizing that this was the next dangerous step she would have to be brave for.

“Listen, my little princess.” Impa said, rubbing her own nose, trying to choke back the tears in her eyes, “Follow the sound, it will lead you to the Kokiri. I cannot come with you, but I promise you with all my heart and all my strength, I will come back for you. Some day.”

Zelda nodded, unable to speak any words.

“I love you my little princess. The forest will protect you.” Impa gave Zelda another monstrous bear hug, squeezing the breath from Zelda’s tiny lungs. Zelda turned away and faced the forest tunnel, the low forest notes still there, just barely. She took a deep breath, and walked alone into the ancient forest, Impa disappearing in mist and shadow.

As she walked deeper and deeper into the forest, the music became clearer. It no longer dipped in and out in her hearing, but was constant, yet faint. Zelda was entirely too aware of the fact that she was now alone, with no protection. She was as utterly vulnerable as a newly hatched cucco. She bade her feet to keep moving, even though they seemingly did everything they could to stick to the ground and make themselves immovable. The plants and trees of the forest looked like they had never been disturbed before, that they had never seen a Hylian for 300 years or more. As such, the overgrowth made traversal cumbersome and laborious, especially for this petit princess whose only experience in nature had been daily walks in her meticulously manicured garden.

But Zelda was determined not to give up so easily. Impa needed her to be strong, so Zelda would be strong like Impa.

As Zelda listened, the music suddenly jumped and came from a totally new direction. Zelda followed along, trusting that this was the right way to go. She came upon a stone stairway in the forest, it was flanked by two tall cliffs, and reached so high, it was impossible to tell what was on the other side. Zelda listened, and it seemed that the music was coming strongly from up the stairs. Zelda tepidly made her way up, which was easier to do than traversing wet mud, but stairs suggested an intelligent being was close by, not just the wild spread of plants who were ignorantly dangerous but not malicious.

As she crested the top of the stairs, she spotted a clearing. It was peaceful but held a deep underlying sadness. Zelda held her breath, in awe of the powerful energy emanating from the spot. If the forest had a heart, surely this would be the place it rested. There was a stone arch way engraved on the side of a cliff, in which no one could possibly access. The archway framed a doorway that mysteriously led to something, possibly ancient and magical. An overgrown tree grew underneath the entrance and framed the archway with its branches. In the middle of the clearing, there was a circular stone structure with a peculiar mark, deeply embedded in the ground. The music that she had been following led her here and found it’s source; the music was as clear as any castle bell or temple organ. Zelda spotted the source of the music, a green haired girl playing an ocarina sitting on top of the embedded stone table.

Zelda approached her timidly, unsure if she was even allowed to be here in this spot. The girl noticed Zelda approach and stopped playing. Without the music reverberating through the air, it was like the whole world had suddenly stopped.

Zelda took a few steps forward, but then a step backward when the green haired girl put down her ocarina and stood up.

“You must be lost.” The girl said and came right up to Zelda. “Only lost children can find this place.” She inspected Zelda more closely, leaning in to look at her face and her clothes, “But, you are almost not a child anymore.” She frowned.

Zelda grabbed the end of her tunic and started to twist it up in a nervous habit. The green haired girl continued, “But maybe you have the innocent heart of a child, or maybe you are someone important. The forest makes these decisions, not me” The girl shrugged, then put out hand to shake, “My name is Saria, it’s very nice to meet you.”

Zelda took ahold of her hand, “Hello Saria, my name is… Sheik. Your music spot is very pleasant.”

Saria laughed, “Thank you, this is my secret spot. The forest saved it just for me, but sometimes the forest lets other people come in as well, important people. You must be a very important person, Sheik.”

Zelda suddenly got very nervous, she didn’t want to have to explain everything that had happened to her so soon, and she wasn’t sure that this Saria could be entirely trusted just yet. In the back of her mind, she sensed that Impa would have her keep quiet about everything that they were doing, but how would Saria trust her if she kept everything a secret.

Saria continued on with her conversation, seeing as how Zelda was being extra quiet, “It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me anything. The children that wander into the forest usually have very sad reasons for doing so. I’m not here to pry, I’m here to show you around and get you acquainted with the other lost children. In time, you will forget about the world beyond the forest.”

“Other children?” asked Zelda.

“Oh yes! You must come meet everyone!” Saria grabbed onto Zelda’s hand and led her away into the forest, “There’s a whole village of us, and you can stay in my house! At least for a little bit.” She giggled.

Saria swept Zelda away without any care or concern, not even a shadow of a doubt that Zelda was any kind of foe, which she wasn’t, but from the past couple of weeks that Zelda had to endure it was both refreshing and concerning the amount of trust that Saria displayed in a complete stranger. Along the forest pathway Saria led her, deeper into the forest than Zelda ever thought the forest could go.

“By the way,” Saria called back as they sped through trees and vines, “Are you a boy or a girl?”

“Uhm…” Zelda was puzzled by the question, she hadn’t recalled a time before that anyone had asked her that, “A girl?”

“Oh, that’s fine then! Just like me!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheik has to get used to life in the Kokiri village, easier said than done. Can she earn the trust of the Kokiri while also keeping her promise to Impa? Will she ever be able to fit in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very difficult and ended up being twice the length. I was planning to put more content in it, but I will have to split it off into the next chapter. Thank you very much for sticking with my work thus far. I truly appreciate every comment and kudos I get. Please enjoy!

The Kokiri Village was small in number but sprawling in its size. Most members had their own dwellings that were built in tree branches or hoisted by pulleys, but some residences could be stumbled upon in the ground, much like fox dens or rabbit holes. Simple suspended bridges linked tree houses together; rocks, plants, brush, and forest colored camouflage served the duel purpose of hiding the Kokiri from unawares passersby and rudimentary decoration. The Kokiri were charming in their childlike simplicity, even if their undeveloped maturity and nuance made petty squabbles over petty grievances a common occurrence.

Most of the Kokiri were unrelated to each other, with the except of a set of twins, but were warm and friendly, acting how family members would (or at least how a child thinks a family member would act). Each member of the tribe had a basic function that must have been foisted upon them at some point by the other members. The Twins were the troublemakers, Milo was the tough big brother, Lily was the little sister crybaby, and Saria, who had leadership qualities and a general aura of wisdom that was well beyond what her appearance would dictate, was the mother. She took care of the smaller Kokiri, gave well-meaning suggestions to the care and management of the village, and was generally regarded as having the last word in any arguments that may have arisen. She was also the only member of the tribe that could put Milo in his place.

Milo was the big brother and had a good heart. He was often the first one on the front lines if any danger should appear but was often overzealous in his charge at protecting the village. He was suspicious to a fault, often demanded his own way, regarded himself as being more advantaged than others and tried to muscle anyone who may have made him feel threatened. He also had the most obvious crush on Saria, but Sheik could tell immediately that Saria was not interested. This just served to further complicate Milo’s already complicated feelings. 

Saria offered Sheik a whole treehouse to live in. It was small and out of the way of the rest of the village, but it still surprised Sheik that Saria made such a generous offer. Sheik was expecting to be crowded into someone else’s house, more than likely Saria’s own, but Saria said that it was no trouble at all.

“This house has been vacant for about a year now. I offered the house up to the other Kokiri, but nobody was willing to take it.” Saria sighed. Her face looked uncharacteristically grim and somber, as if thinking about something that made her soul tired. “Besides, it’s an extra.” Sheik wondered what happened that would make someone leave the Kokiri Village, but Sheik deemed that she was still too new to this world to go about asking personal questions that could bring up a lot of unwarranted feelings. Especially since her local clout was nonexistent.

The house was small. It had a door, a small bed, an empty trunk and a window. Nature was well on its way to reclaiming the house, even only after just a year. There was moss over most of the floor, and moss slowly climbing up the walls. Vines came in through the window, and a family of squirrels decided to squat in a hole in the ceiling. It was not like her princess bedroom, but the sunshine and presence of other living beings made it much better than the Sheikah Bunker.

Though Saria assured Sheik that she was allowed anywhere in the village, to explore the forest to her hearts content, and to participate in the daily lives of the residents without fear of repercussions, Sheik stayed in her little tree house most of the time. She found it increasingly hard to get out of bed and would often stay under the sheets for most of the day. Sometimes she would stare out her window at the forest below. It didn’t change too much, but occasionally she would see a forest critter scurry by, a change in the weather, or rarely another Kokiri child doing some chore or playing around. In the privacy of her house, she felt free to take off her head scarf, which often irritated her long ears. She truly wondered whether the Kokiri children would even care that she was a Hylian, or even be aware of the events outside the forest well enough to understand what her being a Hylian meant. But, out of respect for Impa, she covered up with her white, itchy scarf whenever she had to interact with someone.

The Kokiri children were increasingly curious about the new resident in their village and would often stand underneath Sheik’s tree house and call up to her. Sheik was sure they just wanted to say hi, or start a friendly conversation, but being an only child and not growing up around many children in her life, she felt intimidated by the prospect. She was, afterall, an outsider. She didn’t know what the Kokiri children found interesting, or how to really play in their games. She often watched them from afar and wondered how they could so easily have fun, without any cares or second guesses. Sheik was sure that Saria had a hand in how the Kokiri children were keeping their distance and being respectful of Sheiks boundaries, otherwise, Sheik was sure that they would have been in her house at all hours of the day, leaving her with little privacy.

After a few weeks of settling into the groove of daily Kokiri life, Sheik felt confident enough to travel to Saria’s house, which was not too far away from where she lived. Saria was always happy to see Sheik, but then again, Saria was never seen without a smile on her face. She was just a gentle soul. It was there, in the process of wasting time sitting with Saria as she conducted miscellaneous errands for the village residents, that Sheik became more acquainted with the Kokiri. Everyone stopped by Saria’s house, so everyone got to meet Sheik as well. This was probably the best way that Sheik could have hoped to be introduced to everyone, in an easy going, controlled environment where Saria could mitigate interactions and carry the bulk of conversations for Sheik. All Sheik had to do was be friendly and not scare people off with her sullen somber tone.

Sheik grew more comfortable and more confident, day by day. Her thoughts would wander daily back to Impa, her father and the status of Hyrule Castle, but she told no one these thoughts, not even Saria. Saria, being wise beyond her years, could tell that Sheik was hiding something, but never pried. It was the other Kokiri children who tested the boundaries of Sheiks personal life, and with it caused much awkward pauses, trailing off mumbles and stupefied silences where Sheik just didn’t have the words. So Sheik got a reputation as being not good with words, or just being mute. Sheik was annoyed by that label in the beginning, but it proved to be more convenient over time, as the Kokiri no longer asked intrusive questions of their neighbor and instead, anticipated Sheiks needs without her even asking.

But Saria never treated Sheik like that. Saria knew better. It wasn’t until several months later that Saria had invited Sheik over for some tea, that Saria finally surprised Sheik with a question. Saria knew when to ask questions and sensed that it was finally the time to get some answers out of this outsider.

“Sheik,” Saria started, “What’s happening outside the forest?”

Sheik took a sip of tea, pondering the question and pondering who was asking. Saria was extremely trust worthy, but how much did Saria already know and how much could Sheik truthfully say without going against Impa’s wishes.

“There’s a war going on.” Sheik finally said. It was a broad enough answer that Sheik wasn’t implicating anyone, but truthful enough to give meaning to Sheik’s sudden appearance in the forest.

Saria nodded and sipped on her tea. “The land of Hyrule sees many wars. But, this feels different somehow. The forest is getting frightened. I know you haven’t been here that long, but the Kokiri are also acting different. They feel it too. They aren’t venturing as far out, they’re coming in sooner, they keep closer together. The number of monsters has increased. Thankfully no one has gotten caught, but I fear it is only a matter of time.” Saria set down her cup and wistfully looked away. “And now a Hylian child has come to us again.”

Sheik choked as she inhaled her tea at Saria’s revelation. “You knew what I was?” Sheik touched her ears, which were still covered by her scarf.

Saria laughed and smiled, “I knew of course. The other Kokiri don’t. They have forgotten anything that is beyond the forest. But I knew you were a Hylian the moment I first saw you, because we had another Hylian who stayed with us for a while. He left before you got here, but he was also a victim of Hyrule’s many wars.”

Link, the boy with a fairy.

Sheik pondered for a moment. “Why did he leave?”

Saria was quiet. She was about to say something, when the Twins burst through the front door, yelling and snarling like animals, interrupting any and all previous thoughts and conversations. They came stomping through the house, wild and hooting. They surrounded Saria and grabbed her by the arms, forcing her to stand up from her chair.

“We got her!”

“We have her!” they yelled, and dragged her out of the house.

Sheik blinked at the sudden hurricane that blew through. Now that they were gone, the silence that came after was deafening. Having processed the sequences that just occurred, Sheik jumped up and ran out of the house. How could she have just sat there while Saria was being abducted like that?

Sheik followed their trail through the forest. They didn’t have to go far before she caught up to them. Milo and Lily were waiting for the twins return and got excited to see Saria “captured”.

“There you are!” Milo yelled, stomping his foot in agitation.

“Saria! Saria! Play with us!” Lily squeaked.

The Twins let Saria go. Saria brushed her hair down and looked at them with her gentle eyes. She wasn’t mad, as this was a common incidence, but she was unsettled none-the-less by the forceful expulsion from both her home and conversation.

Lily ran up to Saria and clutched her around the waist. “Play with us!” she repeated. Lily produced a flower crown and placed it on Saria’s head. “You’ll be the captured princess! This rock is your castle and I’ll be your princess best friend!” said Lily, already climbing to the top of big boulder to wait inside the castle. Saria did likewise, already familiar with the game.

“And I’ll be the brave knight who saves the princess’ from the castle!” Milo announced, holding a stick in his hand like a sword. He swung the stick around recklessly and knocked some leaves off the bushes. Sheik came up from behind and watched them as they all went to their respective places. The princesses in the castle, the Twins guarding them and Milo swinging his stick around. He was very close to knocking the Twins down and causing bodily harm, but his swings were always near misses.

Saria looked up and noticed that Sheik had come out and was just standing there, “Play with us, Sheik!”

The other Kokiri turned around and noticed her. Milo spun around to look. He became annoyed that they now had to find another part for someone else to play. “We don’t have any other parts to play. They’re all filled.” Milo complained.

“I could be a knight!” Sheik suggested, it looked like a fun role to try out.

“No!” Milo stomped on the ground, “I’m the knight! I’m the one that gets to save Saria from the monsters!”

The other Kokiri children got tense. Milo was throwing a temper tantrum and bringing everyone down. At this rate, they may not get to play at all. Saria stepped in and called out, “Milo, let Sheik be a knight too!”

Milo grimaced and pouted, but reluctantly conceded. He thrusted a stick into Sheik’s hands; her sword. It was a lot smaller than Milo’s.

And with that, the children acted out their respective parts. The Twins growled and howled, swiping their claws at the two brave knights, who thrust their swords at the monsters. Milo was much more forceful and physically contacting than Sheik was. The Princesses in the castle gasped and wailed as they watched the battle play out below them.

Milo eventually threw his sword on the away and ended up tackling one of the boys to the ground, pinning him and pulling one of the boys arms behind his back. The Twin yelled and struggled, “Milo, that’s not fair!” but Milo ignored him.

Sheik was still fighting her foe, though she wasn’t quite sure how to incapacitate him without injury. She thought to how Impa would defeat her foes; she would just punch the living daylights out of them. Sheik thought maybe that wasn’t he best or safest strategy for pretend playing. Suddenly, the Twin lunged at her and grabbed her hands. He was trying to muscle her down to the ground. Sheik tried to match his strength, but he was a lot stronger than she was. She fell on her knee with the boy using all his might to pin her to the ground. Sheik heard the princesses up above her gasp and cry out.

Sheik yelled, trying to gather her strength to resist, but she was no match and was eventually pinned down on the ground. “He’s dead!” The Twin declared, getting up off the ground, proud of his accomplishment. Normally, when playing with Milo, they never had a chance to win, so it an especially gleeful victory.

Milo came over and inspected his dead comrade. He scoffed and crossed his arms, “How are you so weak? Dead already?” he said.

Saria called from up above, “She’s never played this before! Let her alone Milo!”

“She!?” Milo gasped. Sheik got up off the ground and wiped away the dirt from her backside. “I didn’t know you were a girl! In that case, you have to be a princess!” Milo grabbed onto Sheiks arm and thrust her towards the castle rock, indicating that she should climb up into the castle.

Sheik was unappreciative of the gesture and tensed her body, refusing to move anymore, “Why do I have to be a princess?” She was a princess, but she was confused why her being a girl automatically made her a princess and not a knight or a monster.

“Because, you’re a girl and girls are princesses.” Milo said confidently. Sheik didn’t understand.

“Why can’t you be the princess?!” Sheik asked, pointing her finger at Milo.

Milo looked positively insulted, his face contorted in disgust, “I’m a boy, so I’m the strong, manly knight. I save the weak, delicate princess’” he thrust his stick in Sheik’s face, which made her wince at the whoosh of air brushing across her face. Sheik knocked the stick away from her face. She glared at him, feeling a boiling hot feeling bubbling to the surface. Her face got red and hot, her fists clenched, and her muscles became hard, gearing up to spring an attack onto Milo. She’d never felt such anger before. It was confusing, uncomfortable. 

The other Kokiri kids sensed the electric tension between Sheik and Milo. Both stood their ground, and neither was willing to budge. They shrank back in fear of the oncoming storm. Saria had to think quickly, or this could end up getting someone seriously hurt. 

“Let’s just play a different game, one where we can be what we want?” Saria suggested weakly.

“No! We’re playing rescue the princess, and Sheik needs to go into the castle so that I can save her!” Milo shouted, stomping the ground.

“I don’t need you to save me!” Sheik screamed back.

Just then, everyone jumped out of the heat of the moment when a nearby bush rustled its leaves. There was no wind that came through. It could only mean that something was nearby. Something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Saria and Lily quickly climbed down from their rock castle, the Twins got up off the ground. They all crowded around Milo, except for Sheik, who was to mad and unawares of what was happening to move any closer to Milo.

“You guys, back away slowly.” Milo said, as he instinctively placed his body between the rustling bush and the other Kokiri. Sheik turned to face the shivering leaves. A great pair of yellow eyes peered out from the dark spaces between the leaves. They flashed dangerously as they narrowed in on its target. Them.

The beast was aware that its prey was both cognizant of its presence, and also making itself scarce. It leapt out from its hiding spot with a terrifying snarl and pounced. It was a great grey wolf, its hair bristling, teeth flashing and drool oozing from its blood red mouth. The Kokiri gave a collected yelp. Milo stood his ground, while Sheik looked at the terrifying beast and could feel her feet run cold, frozen to their spot.

“Get out of here!” Milo yelled to the Kokiri behind him. They quickly backed away from the wolf, running as quick as they could to the safety of the village. The wolf leapt from its spot to try and catch one of the children running away, but Milo body slammed the beast in the shoulder, sending it careening to the side. The wolf was stunned by the attack, although it was not hurt at all. It growled and barked deep in its throat; fangs bared menacingly.

Sheik could not move. All she could do was watch helplessly as Milo forced the wolf to take its eyes off the other Kokiri children, who had long since run away. It was just Sheik, Milo and wolf.

Milo picked up his stick and held it out in front of him, gritting his teeth like the wolf in front of him. “What are you doing? Get out of here!” Milo yelled to Sheik. That seemed to be the needed jump start to knock some realization back into Sheik’s head. Sheik forced her legs to move as she turned away from the wolf to escape down the path that the other Kokiri had fled down. The wolf’s eyes darted to Sheik, now a tasty moving target, and it sprung forward to pounce on her. Sheik screeched as the vicious dog came towards her. But Milo also sprang into action, knocking his thick wooden stick in the monsters’ jaws so it couldn’t bite down on poor terrified Sheik. Sheik fell on the ground, the wolf snarling and writhing against the stick in its mouth. She crawled backwards away and got to her feet.

Just then, the wolf snapped the stick in half, sending splinters flying through the air. Milo was taken aback by the sheer force of power that the wolfs jaws displayed. The wolf’s bloody jaws opened wide to give a sickening screech. It was mad, it was now in pain. The beast no longer thought rationally, it merely wanted to retaliate against the searing pain it now felt. The wolf used its paw to scratch at Milo, who was knocked back, the end of his tunic ripped by the wolf’s claws. The wolf began to bear down on him. Milo’s eyes grew wide with horror and he came face to face with the bloody, drooling wolf.

Sheik saw the precarious predicament they were in. She was the only one with advantage. If she did nothing, then Milo would surely be done for. Though her legs felt like jelly, the blood coursed through her veins like flooded rivers after the winter. Sheik grabbed her white scarf and tore it off, clutching it tight. With her naked head, she leapt onto the wolfs back, grabbing fistfuls of fur to hang onto. The Wolf’s head lurched back; its fangs bared in the air. Milo scurried out from under the wolf, while Sheik took her white scarf and wrapped the Wolf’s eyes and mouth. As soon as the scarf was tied, Sheik leapt off the wolf’s back and reunited with Milo. The Wolf snarled and snapped as it tried to paw the wrapped scarf from off its eyes. It was finally trapped, preoccupied. Milo and Sheik ran down the forest path as the distracted wolf lashed out, unable to see them. They ran as fast as they could, their hearts pumping so quickly, Sheik was sure that it was the fastest it had ever gone. Her head became light, but the sound of Milo crashing through trees and bushes besides her gave her something to concentrate on to make it through.

They finally made it to the village, the wolf far behind them, safety surrounding them. They both collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, gulping it down like water. The other Kokiri and Saria came to them, their frightened faces hovering over. The Kokiri each grabbed Sheik and Milo and got them quickly to Saria’s house, and they were laid down on cots to rest.

Saria made tea, while the Twins and Lily ran out to fetch water and wood. Milo, still gasping for breath, but recovering quickly, sat up in his cot and stared at Sheik, who was now without her head covering.

“You…You’re a…. *gasp*… a Hylian!” he sputtered out. Sheik glanced back at Milo, but didn’t say anything. She was trying to recover from the ordeal and didn’t want to deal with intrusive questions right now.

“Saria?” Milo gasped, “Did you know?”

Saria poured out the tea and delivered a cup to Milo, “Not now Milo. Rest.”

Milo refused the cup of tea, pushing it back into Saria’s hand, “You did know! How could you let another one of those outsiders into our sanctuary!?” he yelled.

Saria stood over Milo, using the full power of her authority as leader, “The forest chose to let Sheik be with us. It wasn’t my decision.”

Milo scoffed and thumbed his nose. “Bah! No way the forest would let another one of those tree killers in after what the last one did!”

“Well, it did!” Saria raised her voice, taking even Milo by surprise. Saria forced the tea onto Milo’s lap while turning to give Sheik her tea. Sheik sat there in silence.

What could she say? She was an outsider yes. Maybe she didn’t belong after all. She had such a hard time playing by the Kokiri’s rules of princess’ and knights. She hadn’t integrated very smoothly into Kokiri life. Saria was the only one who seemed to be any kind of genuine friend, and yet she was friends with everyone.

Milo rolled over onto his cot, pouting. Sheik decided to do the same. Maybe what she really needed was some sleep. Afterall, she just fought an enormous battle, anyone would be tired after that.

“That was some good thinking out there, Sheik.” Milo said to the wall, “For a girl.”


End file.
